


The Mutant Handbook

by orphan_account



Category: Casualty (TV)
Genre: Hybrids, Multi, that weird hybrid au u always wanted feat ur fave ot3, this fic is just me satisfying my need for rarepairs and hybrid aus
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-09-22
Updated: 2015-10-13
Packaged: 2018-04-22 22:00:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 1,733
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4852028
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A hoard of patients with animalistic features arrive at Holby City, causing problems the ED never thought they'd ever have.</p><p>or</p><p>Connie is convinced she has it all under control, and everyone else is fairly sure she doesn't.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. i) the hybrid condition can only be passed on through physical contact. remember this.

_i) the hybrid condition can only be passed on through physical_ contact _. remember this._

The second they'd been filled in on what they were now calling the Hybrid Condition, the general atmosphere in the hospital changed dramatically. Everyone seemed so tense, and even Lofty failed to see the light in this situation. As two Hybrids were guided to cubicles to be checked out, Caleb mentally nominated his brother to be the first to check out the strange new phenomenon, but Ethan loudly declined and forced Caleb to do it himself.  Upon greeting the first patient, it became painfully obvious to him that their debriefing hadn't totally covered the likelihood of the condition being contagious, so Caleb excused himself momentarily and accosted Connie.

"Is this...contagious? Should we be taking extra measures?"

"Fear not, Caleb. Extra measures are already in place. You just do your job and I'll take care of the rest." Caleb found this strange, but before he could protest, Connie had walked away and left him to his own thoughts.

The aforementioned patient, who had revealed themself to be called Henry, slowly removed his hood in front of Caleb to expose a pair of scarlet and white furry ears perched upon his head. Caleb suppressed an audible gasp.

"When did these appear?"

"Appear? They were growin' for months. They itched and ached like crazy but no one were listenin' to me!" Henry's soft red hair bunched around the base of his animal ears, appearing haphazard and uneven. "Do you even know what  _animal_ they are? I can't work it out."

"I'm going to have to ask you some more questions first."

\--

Henry settled well, he had been given medication to soothe the irritation and headaches, as well as Dylan's spare pair of noise cancelling headphones to help with the heightened sense of hearing. Caleb watched from the counter as Henry laid back into the bed.

"Red Panda." He muttered under his breath. "Lofty!" Caleb grabbed his shoulder as he walked by, bringing him to a halt.

"What?"

"I have to go somewhere, real quick. Could you cover my patient for me while I'm gone?"

_ii) if you are going to care for a hybrid, for the love of god, dont let the carer be the clumsiest nurse in the hospital._


	2. ii) if you are going to care for a hybrid, for the love of god, dont let the carer be the clumsiest nurse in the hospital.

Lofty smiled at Henry. Barely looking up, Henry occasionally rubbed and scratched at his ears and shifted uncomfortably on the bed. Lofty started to move forwards in order to idly reach for something beside Henry, only, as he stepped forwards he suddenly managed to lose his balance, flinging his arm out in the hope of grabbing something and saving himself from a fall.

Unfortunately, he managed to grab onto Henry.

"Hey. Careful." Henry muttered, clasping his hand on Lofty's. Lofty swallowed and gently pulled his hand back smiling awkwardly.

"Sorry."

"Don't worry about it. I'm Henry by the way - Henry Liu."

"Yes, I -- um, I know who you are." Lofty shuffled in the space he was stood, glancing nervously from the floor to Henry, and back to the floor again. Henry just smiled. "Um, did Doctor Knight say where he was going?"

"You mean the guy who was in here before? Nah, he just kept peering through the gap in the curtains and then he dashed off." Henry begun to shift awkwardly again, aware that Lofty was watching him. "I always wanted to be different kinds of animals when I was younger. I guess I didn't really consider how irritating it would be to be stuck with a tail up your ar-"

"Hi, I'm back. Thanks Lofty." Caleb appeared from behind the curtains, smiling slightly. Lofty turned to leave, only looking back to see Henry grinning at him.

_iii) do you remember what I told you about how contagious the hybrid condition is?_


	3. iii) do you remember what I told you about how contagious the hybrid condition is?

_iii) do you remember what I told you about how contagious the hybrid condition is?_

 

"Got a cold, Lofty?" Rita gave him her most sympathetic look, but Lofty just sniffled and clutched his head in pain. 

"Yeah, and if I ever find out who gave it to me, I'll...I'll fight them." Rita smiled knowingly and walked away. Henry was now perched on the end of his bed, having been deemed well enough to be discharged, as well as there being more urgent hybrids needing the hospital's attention. Catching his eye, Lofty shuffled over to him.

"Hi, Henry."

"Hey." He glanced up, part way through pulling his socks onto his feet. 

"It'll be much better to go home now...rather than being stuck in here with the great unwashed." Lofty attempted to reassure him, but he just frowned, sitting back up on his bed. His large tail swished gracefully by his dangling legs.

"I guess...but I don't get to go home now. I mean, I get to leave here but there's some kind of..." Henry hesitated, suddenly appearing very uncomfortable. 

"What?"

"It was set up by a Ms. Beauchamp. That's what she called herself anyway. She said we wouldn't be there very long. My brother's already there and I haven't heard from him in ages..."

"I...I had no idea." Lofty stared at his feet. 

"Do you...have a headache by any chance?" Henry hopped to his feet and approached Lofty slowly, gazing into his eyes.

"Uh...is it that obvious?" Lofty swallowed, instinctively stepping back slightly.

"Nah, us hybrids are s'posed to be able to tell when others are becoming hybrids." Lofty inhaled sharply, barely moving to breathe. "I think that's utter crap though. You probably just have a cold."

"O-oh. Right." Lofty paused. "I...have to go." 

 

_iv) nobody knows what its like to be a hybrid quite like the hybrids._


	4. iv) nobody knows what it's like to be a hybrid quite like the hybrids

By the end of his shift, Lofty was exhausted. His head was throbbing and his lower back ached. He walked out of the ED slowly, wincing at the pain in his head and rubbing his temples. Upon noticing that Dylan had just strode past him, his expression brightened slightly and he skipped a little to catch up with, and walk alongside him. Dylan made a futile attempt to act like he hadn't seen Lofty, knowing full well that the man-child would proceed to talk excitedly in his direction all the same. 

"Dylan, do you know anything about Connie's plans for the hybrids?" Dylan froze.

"Plans?"

"Yeah, Henry was telling me that --"

"And how on Earth does 'Henry' know? Who even is Henry?"

"He's a hybrid himself. I assume Connie told him that's where he'd be going." Lofty paused for a moment. "Surely she isn't planning to lock them all away forever?" Dylan just stared at him before turning and continuing to walk towards his boat. Lofty soon followed, calling after him.

"Dylan! Wait!"

"Ben, what would you want me to do about it even if your random theory was true?" Lofty didn't respond. "Exactly."

"Wait - before you go." Dylan let out a long sigh.

"What do you want?"

"I think...I mean, I had lots of headaches and pains in my head today - and that bone where our tails were supposed to be, if humans had tails - that really hurts too!"

"What are you saying?"

"I think...I think I'm...I think I'm a hybrid."

 

_v) oh fuck_


	5. v) oh fuck

"Ben, you have to stay in here. You can't leave." Dylan announced glancing over his shoulder and ushering Lofty inside the boat.

"W-well...I didn't expect this!" He sat himself down on the edge of the Dylan's bed. "And what about my shifts?!"

"I will think of something, but while I figure out what exactly you are, I need you to stay here."

"Dylan, Holby has started treating hybrids I don't think it's a problem that I probably am one."

"Ben! Do you not  _read_ the news? Do you pay any attention to anything that is happening outside of your daydream fantasy?  _Three_ hybrids have been murdered this week and Connie has made it perfectly clear that she wants lock every single one that walks through those doors into a room with all the others until she can think of something  _better_ to do with them." Lofty didn't know what to say. He stared up at Dylan with wide eyes before frowning heavily.

"You _knew?!"_ He stood up slowly. "You  _knew_ and you acted like you didn't?"

"You...aren't supposed to know."

"You don't even care about them-- _us,_ do you? You only care  _now_ because it's me!"

"Either way, you are still staying here, and I am still going to think of a reason why you won't be turning up to work for a while." Dylan turned away and walked into the kitchen, simply ignoring Lofty when he heard him calling after him. 

_vi) it is always important to protect your friends, even if they are not 100% with that idea at the moment._

 


	6. vi) it is always important to protect your friends, even if they are not 100% with that at the moment.

"Dylan, have you seen Lofty anywhere?" Ethan questioned him upon his immediate arrival to the ED the following morning. Dylan stared blankly at him.

"He's unwell."

"That's a bit vague." Ethan looked at Dylan suspiciously.

"Patient confidentiality."

"Unless it's a...'you-know-what' issue..."

"Is that what we're calling it now?" Dylan raised his eyebrows before turning to walk to a patient awaiting his diagnosis, leaving Ethan still none the wiser as to Lofty's whereabouts. Ethan walked slowly, unable to shake the thoughts of how Dylan had handled the conversation from his mind. He had neither confirmed nor denied that Lofty was a hybrid and it gave him a headache trying to convince himself that it was not true. As he shuffled along, Dylan once again passed by and Ethan took this chance to accost him yet again.

"Dylan, he isn't...you know? Is he?" He dipped his head as he spoke in the hope that Dylan would understand. The way Dylan then reacted to this - that was, to say nothing and try to walk away - confirmed to Ethan that Dylan definitely knew what he was talking about. "Dylan! Stop ignoring me!"

"Fine! For goodness' sake, yes! There's your answer." Dylan spat in a sudden fit of irritation. Ethan just stared and swallowed.

"Did...did they...did Con--"

"--No! No, he's at my boat. He's safe."

"Oh thank goodness." Ethan let out a sigh of relief. "I put two and two together and--"

"--and made seven."

"Yes. Exactly."

"Ethan?"

"Um..."

"I need you to help me."

_vii) hybrids are humans too. well, mostly..._

**Author's Note:**

> oh man thx for reading!!!
> 
> i really like to get my fics right and i try to research stuff i dont know much about (which happens to be a lot when it comes to hospitals.........yikes) but if u spot something that isnt right/correct (even if its something small and u feel annoying) pls tell me bc even if its monumental to the story and i cant change it in this fic, itd be really useful to know for future fics (and general life)!! thank u v much ily!!


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